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Chinchillas and cornsnakes in airing cupboard fire

Firefighters are trained to save animals from burning buildings and tricky situations, which is just as well as on Thursday afternoon they were faced with... 10 corn snakes and two chinchillas in a third floor flat fire.

An electrical fault caused a fire in the airing cupboard of the flat in Holden Close in Braintree.

The unusual pets were being kept in the living room, and as the flat was smoke-logged, Essex Fire and Rescue officers had to use ventilation fans to keep the safe from harm.

The service praised the flat owner for closing all the internal doors once her smoke alarm went off, helping protect the rest of the flat and her precious pets from damage.

Sadly, firefighters were too busy flighting the fire to take photographs, so here's a chinchilla and a corn snake in case you're not familiar with them. They are looking happy because they were not involved in the fire.

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Hadleigh factory emerges phoenix-like from the ashes

In 2014, the Challs cleaning products factory in Hadleigh went up in smoke, destroying two of its warehouses.

BBC

Even though 70 firefighters had to deal with the blaze, manufacturing continued at the site on the Lady Lane industrial estate.

The parts of the plant affected and now part of the plant has been rebuilt at a cost of £3.7m.

Company spokesman Edel Tobin-Schultz said: "This new building is a great step forward for a thriving Suffolk manufacturer who not only rallied from the catastrophic fire, but went on to thrive and now exports to five continents globally.

"The building is packed with impressive and in some cases ground-breaking features from a technology and environmental perspective and it’s given Hadleigh a real boost."

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Cycling community cafe closing today

A cycling and community cafe in Ipswich town centre is closing today ahead of a move to the town's waterfront in the autumn.

La Tour, opposite St Mary-le-Tower church, opened in 2015.

Anna Matthews, founder, said: "It's been a cafe-cum-community hub serving young families and we've offered a pay-it-forward service for customers who want to buy a drink for homeless people who come in.

"We need a bigger space to grow and develop."

BBC

The team has been offered a unit under The Mill tower block on the waterfront which they hope to have ready before Christmas.

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Cantley's Hewett playing in wheelchair doubles after losing singles semi-final

BBC Sport

We've reported that Britain's Alfie Hewett, from Cantley in Norfolk, went out of the Wimbledon men's wheelchair singles at the semi-final stage after losing against Gustavo Fernandez.

BBC

The Argentinean second seed, 23, avenged his French Open final defeat by 19-year-old Hewett last month, coming through 4-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.

The pair face each other again today in the doubles semi-final. Hewett and his British partner Gordon Reid are defending the title they won at the All England Club last year.

Compatriots Jordanne Whiley and Lucy Shuker are also in doubles action.

Whiley and her Japanese partner Yui Kamiji are the defending champions, and face Dutch top seeds Jiske Griffieon and Aniek Van Koot. Shuker takes to the court alongside Sabine Ellerbrock of Germany. They will play second seeds Marjolein Buis and Diede De Groot - also from the Netherlands.

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Simon Dobbin attack: Photos of attackers released

Police have released photos of the thirteen men who attacked football fan Simon Dobbin, 44, leaving him with permanent brain damage.

The men were all found guilty of various offences in relation to the attack in March 2015 and will be sentenced on Monday.

The jury at Basildon Crown Court heard Mr Dobbin and his friends had gone to the afternoon's football game and
then spent the evening at the Blue Boar pub, where they watched the England vs France rugby match.

But when a group of Southend fans entered the pub, the U's fans decided
to head home, fearing they would be targeted.

When they reached Prittlewell train station, Mr Dobbin and some of his friends
became separated from the rest of the group when they took a wrong
turning.

As they passed The Railway Tavern around 19:15, a large group of around 25 men came out of the pub and set upon them in East
Street.

Mr Dobbin was knocked unconscious and suffered swelling on the
brain.

He was put in an induced coma and spent four months in Addenbrooke’s Hospital,
Cambridge, followed by and eight months in rehabilitation.

He returned home to Mildenhall, Suffolk, in March 2016 but needs 24-hour care.

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Latitude: Lightshow on the lake

While things don't really get up and running at the Latitude Festival until Friday, on Thursday night there is always a handful of poets and the water and lightshow on the lake at Henham Park and yesterday evening was no exception:

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Latitude: Now in its 12th year

Andrew Woodger

BBC News

At the first Latitude in 2006, I wrote a review for the BBC website, and I said "The promoters will certainly have generated enough positive word-of-mouth praise to merit bringing the whole show back next year".

The size of the first audience was about 10,000-12,000 across the weekend.

And they're still here 11 years later for the 12th edition... when about 40,000 are expected at Henham Park.

Adult weekend tickets were around the £100 mark in 2006. They're now closer to £200.

BBC

Estate owner Hektor Rous announces plans for the first Latitude Festival in 2006

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Cultural schemes benefit from funding boost

It's hoped more people will be able to get involved in the arts in this county after a £153,500 boost was given to 11 organisations.

Those benefiting from the county council's cultural development strategic fund include Colchester Arts Centre which will get £15,000 to help make its workshops and performances more accessible.

Geograph/Paul Farmer

Orchestras Live will get the same amount to support its work with people with special needs, while Signals Essex Media Centre gets £27,000 towards its digital skills workshops.

"It is vital that we help to preserve cultural organisations in Essex as they have a positive impact on the lives of local residents, and make Essex a fun and exciting place to live," said Sue Barker, councillor for culture, communities and customers.

"I am heartened by the level of pride that people take in their local community,” she added.

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Simon Dobbin attack: CPS statement

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has released a statement after thirteen men were convicted of various offences in relation to an attack after a football match that left Cambridge United fan Simon Dobbin with brain damage.

The men were
part of a gang which set out to ambush U's supporters
following a match in Southend in March 2015.

Douglas
Mackay, from the CPS said: "These men set out on that
Saturday with the intention of getting involved in the most horrific violence.

"Their victims were chosen at random and were entirely innocent," he said.

Nicole Dobbin

"The jury agreed with the prosecution that each of these men played an active part in planning or carrying out this shocking attack.

"Mr Dobbin and his family have been through an unimaginable ordeal. I can only hope these verdicts bring some sense of justice for them."

During the trial at Basildon Crown Court, the jury heard that the attackers scouted out locations as they planned the attack in revenge for a fight earlier in the day in which Mr Dobbin, 44, had no involvement.

They ambushed a small group of Cambridge United supporters and during the violence Mr Dobbin was kicked and stamped on repeatedly.

All of the men have been remanded in custody to face sentencing on Monday.

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Simon Dobbin attackers are 'hooligans', says lead officer

The police officer in charge of the investigation into the attack which left Simon Dobbin with brain damage, has called the thirteen men convicted "a pack of animals".

Earlier today, eight of those men were found guilty of violent disorder, alongside one man who had already pleaded guilty to the charge. Three men were found guilty of conspiracy to commit violent disorder, with one man found guilty of hiding the group.

Det Ch Insp Martin Passmore, from Essex Police, said the group "were not football fans".

"I think they're hooligans," he said.

"These are
individuals that are mainly spending their time in pubs and drinking
and looking for the opportunity to have fights with other so-called football
fans/hooligans.

"I haven't seen any remorse in this case at
all.

Nicole Dobbin

"Whether some of them might have great regrets about what happened that night there's some indication perhaps from some of the telephone work that we've done that would indicate that, but you could also say that that's fear. That's fear of conviction. That's fear of being caught."

If it hadn't been down to thorough police work, the convicted men "would have been running off laughing," he said.

"They knew that an individual was going to be taken away into hospital and there was some concern also from some of them of how serious this actually was, and yet they can still send text messages about 'how proud I am' and 'how proud we are of what we've done' - it's just unbelievable."

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More than 100 jobs go at insurance call centre in Ipswich

An insurance and financial call centre company has gone into administration, resulting in the loss of 134 jobs in Ipswich.

Google

Call Connection, which has offices on Cromwell Square in the town centre, has appointed BDO as the administrator.

The company, which provides call centre services for other firms, has ceased to trade, but will operate with a "skeleton staff" as the office is wound down.

Martha Thompson, business restructuring partner at BDO, said: "Unfortunately, the company experienced recent financial difficulties which put a significant strain on its working capital position.

"The directors endeavoured to secure a sale of the business as a going concern but, regrettably, a purchaser has not been found, leaving no other option but to place the company into administration and to cease to trade the business.

"The joint administrators are taking all necessary steps to maximise recoveries for the benefit of all creditors."

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Wife of football hooliganism victim talks of a man 'trapped' in his body

The wife of Simon Dobbin has been reacting to the news that all 13 men charged with the football hooliganism that left her husband brain-damaged have been convicted of either violent disorder, conspiracy to commit violent disorder or assisting offenders.

Family Photo

Simon Dobbin with his daughter Emily and wife Nicole

Nicole Dobbin said it has been "heartbreaking" watching CCTV footage shown to the court of her husband dancing and singing in the background because he will never be able to do that again.

"Simon was always the life and soul of a party, he was very family orientated, we did everything together, the only times we didn't socialise is when he was at a football match or we were at work, otherwise we were always together. We don't have that anymore and we will never get that back."

Mrs Dobbin said her husband is aware of his friends and family, almost as if he is "trapped" in his body.

However, he cannot walk or talk and is fed through a tube.

He is linked to a suction machine, so he does not choke himself to death.

"I don't know how I've stayed strong," said Mrs Dobbin.

"There have been times when I lay in bed and think about the man I've lost, and the plans we had for the future will never happen, but hopefully we'll be able to make new plans."

BBC

Artist's impression of the defendants at Basildon Crown Court

She urged those who go to football matches to "cause trouble", to think twice.

"In my eyes, I'm lucky I've still got Simon, obviously not the way he is, we're not lucky about that, but the next person, one punch can kill," she said.

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Aquaman meets the Incredible Hulk

It's serious gear for a serious job, but Essex Police's photograph did make us chuckle.

It's like Aquaman meets the Hulk (on the right)... and his mate, "specialist breathing equipment-man".

Essex Police

Actually, it's the force's Specials showing off some of the equipment they use to deal with some of the more unusual situations they'll be called on to attend in their new roles with the Operational Support Group.

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Basildon boss bows out

The boss of Basildon Council is to step down after 13 years at the helm, we've just been told.

Bala
Mahendran has been an "outstanding public servant to Basildon" in his longstanding role as chief executive, colleagues said, but he's decided to step down on 31st July.

The council's undergone some restructuring and a review of senior management posts is on the cards.

Basildon Council

Mr Mahendran said he'd been "reflecting on my own career and future" for some time.

"I cannot overstate how proud I am to have held the post for so long, indeed as the longest serving chief executive Basildon has ever had."

During his time as chief executive he said the council had achieved a number of notable successes including working with schools to improve exam results, regenerating Pitsea town centre and investing £39m to develop the Sporting Village which is an "Olympic-standard facility [that] "has left a legacy of sporting success".